Vending machine



Feb.27,1945. A, A EECHOO 2,370,230

VENDING MACHINE Feb. 27, 1945. A QHEECHQQ 2,370,230

VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 12, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3. INVENTORALBERTA. 6395 -01100 4 rrae/wrrs.

Patented Feb. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENDING MACHINEAlbert A. Cheechoo, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada Application February 12,1943, Serial No. 475,64'l

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a vending machine. More particularly theinvention relates to a cigarette lighting and vending machine.

Machines of this type have been used for vending such articles ascandies, chewing gum, chocolate bars, etc. More recently they have beenused for vending packages of cigarettes. Some of the machines are coinoperated while others are operated by suitable push buttons or levers.

The machine covered by the present invention is adapted particularly forvending individual cigarettes and for lighting each cigarette before itis ejected from the machine. The machine may be coin operated or it maybe operated by a push button. It is run by electricity and is automaticfrom the time the coin is inserted until the lighted cigarette isejected into a tray on the front of the machine. A supply of cigarettesis contained in a hopper from where they are fed by gravity into thepath of a reciprocating carriage. A main switch is closed by inserting acoin in the machine or by actuating the push button. This starts anelectric motor, a gearv reduction box, a small compressor and an electric lighting element. The drive shaft from the gear reduction boxbegins to rotate thus drawing the carriage forward and pushing "onecigarette to the lighting position between the lighting element and theopen end of a suction line which is attached to the compressor. Duringthe second half of the drive shaft rotation the carriage is returnedtowards its original position. On its return it operates a rod mechanismwhich ejects the lighted cigarette from the lighting position through anaperture in the front of the machine into a tray where it can be easilypicked up by the operator. When the carriage arrives at its originalposition it opens the switch and the machine is ready for the nextoperation. During the lighting of the cigarette the smoke is dischargedby the compressor through a suitable tube.

The cigarette lighting and vending machine will now be described in moredetail by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is apart sectional side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a partial section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view with the cover plate removed.

The machine casing may be of any desired form and is shown in thedrawings as consisting of a base plate l8, side walls I I, and a coverplate l2. A supply of cigarettes i3 is contained in a suitable hopper Mwhich is shaped in such a manner that the cigarettes are fed by gravityone above the other. The hopper may be wholly encased within the machineor may consist of a channel as shown in the drawings which may beconnected with a suitable container.holding a supply of cigarettes. Thecigarettes are fed by gravity into the path of a reciprocating carriagel5, which consists of the base portion and the cigarette ejectingabutment 46 secured to its upper surface. The longitudinal edges of thebase portion 45 are folded downwardly and inwardly to form channels (seeFig. 2) which slidably engage guide rails 48 constituting the edges of aplatform 49. This platform extends from the rear toward the front wallll of the casing and has a depressed mid-portion connected to the rails48 by sloping portions 5.0a. It is secured to the front and rear walls Hof the casing in any suitable manner such as by brazing, soldering orriveting.

A suitable coin slot or push button is provided in a convenientposition. By inserting a coin or actuating the push button the switch I6is closed. This switch is connected by suitable wiring with an electricmotor I! and a lighting element IS. The shaft IQ of the electric motoris connected with a reduction gearing in box 20 which in turn isprovided with an upright drive shaft 2|. In this way the rotative speedof the drive shaft 2! is greatly reduced. An eccentric plate 22 ismounted on the upper end of the drive shaft 2i and the pivotally mountedarm 23 connects the eccentric with the carriage I5.

Accordingly, as the drive shaft 2| and eccentric 22 rotate the carriagel5 will reciprocate back and forth thus feeding the cigarettes from thehopper M to the lighting element 18.

A rotary vane compressor 24 is mounted on the opposite end of the motorshaft IS. A suitable coupling or universal joint 25 is provided betweenthe compressor and the electric motor. A sue; tion line 26 is connectedto the intake of the compressor and this suction line is connected witha collar 21 directly opposite the lighting element l8. With thisconstruction a suction is provided at the end of the cigarette remotefrom the lighting element and the lighting of the cigarette isfacilitated. The smoke created by the lighting action is discharged bythe compressor through the tube 28.

The cigarette ejection apparatus is operated by the movement of thecarriage l5. It consists of a rod 29 which is shaped as shown in Fig. 1.The inner end of this rod is bent upwards as at 30 to engage a lug 3|projecting from the carriage IS. The opposite end of the rod ispivotally attached to a crank rod 32 which extends across the front ofthe machine to a point underneath the collar 21 where it is mounted in asuitable bearing 33. This bearing is held in place by the bracket 34which fits over the suction line 26. A suitable tray 35 is provided onthe front of the machine into which the cigarettes are ejected. Thistray extends inwardly underneath the hopper l4 providing a floor 36 onwhich the cigarettes may be moved forward by the reciprocating carriageI 5. A small spring or the like 31. is attached to the bottom of thehopper as shown in Fig. 1 to prevent the cigarettes from rolling out ofthe hopper when the carriage is idle. The floor 36 is interrupted by twoparallel apertures 38 through which ejecting fingers 39 project andoperate. These fingers are mounted on the crank rod 32 and move with it.

As the carriage I moves forward the rod 29 is pulled forward byacoilspring 40 which is attached to the front wall II and an extension 4| ofthe rod 29. This causes the crank rod 32 and the ejecting fingers 39 totake up the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1. A stop rod 42mounted between the sloping portions 50 of the platform 49 is providedagainst which the fingers 33 rest. The fingers remain in this positionwhile the cigarette is delivered to the lighting element by thecarriage. On the return stroke of the carriage the projecting lug 3|,formed on the end of plate 3la secured to the base portion 45 ofcarriage I 5, engages the member and pulls the rod 29 toward the rear ofthe machine. rod in turn actuates the crank rod 32 causing the fingers33 to swing upward and forward thereby ejecting the cigarette from thelighting position through an opening 43 in the front of the machine intothe tray 35. A guide member 44 secured to the platform 49 is providedfor the rod 29.

The operation of the machine is entirely automatic from the time thecoin is inserted or the button pushed until the lighted cigarette isejected into the tray and the switch 5 is opened. The insertion of acoin orv the actuating of a push button closes the switch l8 whichstarts the electric motor II, the reduction gearing in box 20, thecompressor 24, and the lighting element l8. The rotation of theeccentric 22 causes the carriage 15 to move forward thereby engaging thebottom cigarette in the hopper l4 and feeding it to a point between thelighting element l8 and the collar 21 of the suction line 26. As thecarriage moves forward the coil spring pulls the rod 29 toward the frontof the machine The 5 causing the fingers 39 to take up the positionshown in dotted outline in Fig. 1. The cigarette is lit while it restsadjacent to the lighting element and the smoke is discharged by thecompressor 24 through the tube 28.

As the eccentric 22 continues to rotate the carriage l5 returns towardits original position and the lug 31 engages the end of the rod 29causing the lighted cigarette to be ejected by the fingers 39 into thetray 35 where it can be easily picked up by the operator. When thecarriage arrives at its original position the plate 3l engages and opensthe switch 16 by engaging the arm Hi thereof, thus shutting off theelectric motor I! and the lighting element l8. The machine is then readyfor the next operation.

I claim:-

1. A cigarette lighting and vending machine comprising a hopper adaptedto contain a supply of cigarettes, a. lighting element, a carriagemember adapted to reciprocate beneath said hopper to feed the cigarettesindividually from said hopper to said lighting element, ejecting fingersmounted adjacent to said lighting element and adapted to eject thelighted cigarettes from the machine, said ejecting fingers beingactuated by the reciprocating carriage.

2. A cigarette lighting and vending machine comprising a hopper adaptedto contain a supply of cigarettes, a motor, a lighting element, a switchadapted to control said motor and said lighting element, areciprocatable carriage member mounted beneath said hopper, the forwardstroke of said carriage member being adapted to feed individualcigarettes from said hopper to said lighting element, ejecting fingersmounted adjacent to said lighting element, said ejecting fingers beingactuated by the return stroke of said carriage member to eject thelighted cigarettes from the machine.

3. A machine as defined in claim 2, comprising means for opening theswitch upon the return stroke of the carriage and thus shutting oil themotor and the lighting element.

4. A cigarette lighting and vending machine comprising a. hopper adaptedto contain a supply of cigarettes, a motor, a lighting element, a switchadapted to control said motor and lighting element, means .for feedingthe cigarettes from the hopper to the lighting element, and ejectingfingers mounted adjacent to the lighting element and adapted to ejectthe lighted cigarettes individually into a suitable tray provided on thefront of the machine, said carriage member and said ejecting fingersbeing operated by said motor.

ALBERT A. CHEECHOO.

